Susan made sure her uniform was straight before she walked in. Invited by the instructor to come, it was the first time she had been inside the academy since she finished her last round of training at 14. That was seven years ago but it felt like a lifetime for her. "Still smells the same" she said crinkling her nose. She stopped at the glass case in the lobby. Every semester, the academy would have a competition for the class. Top prize went to the first team and MVP. Back then, she couldn't compete in most challenges. Like the relay races, archery, or anything that demanded sight. However, she excelled in arcane and swordplay or martial contests in general. Susan remembered the girl who bested her in martial arts. Funny, good sportsmanship, a decent girl and gracious winner. She died two years later saving a young human girl who was playing with a shrinking arcane. It was a somber fact that the picture of the winning team for that year, less than half was still alive.
She glanced at a placard that held the names for those with unbroken records. Susan held the record still for sword quickdraw. "0.11 seconds. Nobody has cracked it?" she asked herself. Susan was sometimes humble to the point of ignorant sometimes as such a speed was faster than a human could react. More so impressive as she was not fortified at the time. She sighed and made her way to hall 1 where this crop of trainees was waiting. She walked in and saw the rows of fresh faces staring back at her. All were teenagers. Many as young as the minimum allowed age of 14. She estimated as many as 30 looking back at her.
"Ah. I see our visitor has arrived. Class. This is Susan Durmont codename agent Nightshade. She is the highest-ranking agent of THORN. Stand and salute" the instructor said. They got up in unison and clapped their hand over their heart. They sat back down. "You got them trained well Fiona" Susan whispered. "Agent Ivy is correct. I am the highest-ranking agent in THORN. I didn't come this way because I was simply good at my job. It took hard work, pain, and sacrifice to get this far. Each of you is expected of the same. You get me?" she asked. "We get you sir!" they responded. "Good. Now I'm open to any questions" she said. "Is it true you were blind?" a girl asked. "Yes. A human blinded me when I was 12. I joined THORN at 13 and honed my other senses to compensate. Not an easy task as some of my classmates forgot to wash their feet sometimes" Susan said smiling. A few chuckled.
"We're you scared on your first mission?" a boy asked. "You bet your ass. I was sent out on a antiquing mission. That's old speak for recon on a possible magic artifact. I remember it was raining. Heavy rain in Frankfurt Germany. Since I was new, I was restricted to healing and clairvoyant magic only. It was thought some old guy stumbled onto an old Norse arcane that controlled lightning. I remember the long climb down his chimney like fucking Santa Claus. The smell of wet soot in my nose. The coldness of brick on my bare feet. It was the dead of night and even in the darkness...well it was always dark for me then, I could smell something pungent in the air. The clairvoyant spell led me to his study where the old geezer was asleep in his chair. The old piece of parchment sat on his desk. I climbed up. My heart pounded as he muttered in his sleep. I felt the parchment and concentrated. It was a fake. I scampered off and made my way back to the chimney and then I heard something. *Meowl...*" Susan said growling.
"A cat!" the boy asked. "A cat. Big fucking old tomcat and he could smell me. The pungent smell from earlier? Turns out it was cat piss. I couldn't see it but I could feel it getting closer and closer. It's muscles tightening as it got ready. I heard it spring from the floor and I dove left. The damn thing missed and slammed his head into a fireplace log. It was stunned long enough for me to escape up the chimney. I want you to learn from my mistake. Pay attention to your environment. You're surrounded by clues. Use your surroundings to your advantage. I got lucky. You might not be" she added.
"Is it true you can bend steel?" someone asked. "A needle yes but everything else is bullshit. We're borrowers not superheroes" she replied. "Ma'am. There's a course coming up where we'll be divided up by gender. Can you tell us why as the instructors won't" a girl asked. Susan looked at Fiona who nodded. "That course involves sexuality. All agents run the high risk of being found and/or captured by humans. However, as new agents you'll be restricted on what spells you'll be allowed to use or know. What that means is the attack spells won’t be available nor should you use the, to hurt or kill innocent humans" she said. "But that isn't fair. We supposed to just let them kill us?" a random boy shouted. Sudan held her hand out to stop Fiona. "Consider this. A young 7-year-old human girl captured you. She wants to dress you up and play with you. She pokes and prods you. She even bruises you. Should you burn her to ashes where she stands?" Susan asked him. "...no. But that's a kid" he replied. "Humans are capricious beings. They change. Killing one that harmed you takes away any possible good they could do in the future. I'm not saying you should just give yourself over to death. I'm saying there's alternatives. Like using your body"
"Not only are they capricious, humans are sexual beings. They won't hesitate to take a peek at your genatialia or breasts. What it comes down to is the specific likes. Obviously male humans prefer female borrowers and the opposite is true also when it comes to female humans. The course will teach you how to use your body to buy time as it were. For females, showing off your breasts, your butt, your vagina, or your feet can make a human male think twice about hurting or killing you. For males, your butt, toned chest, or a firm erection can enamor a human female...or male in the off chance. This will be covered in that course" Susan said. "Did it ever happen to you?" someone asked. "...no. I was very fortunate not to have to deal with that" Susan replied. There was an awkward silence. "Any other questions?" Susan asked. "Have you ever killed humans?" someone asked. Fiona went to say something and Susan stopped her again.
"Yes I have. Several. I stopped counting after 22" she replied. There was a murmur. "I should explain. There will be times when your mission requires it. Some humans are too strong willed to blank their memories or simply too dangerous. In those cases, the protocol is lifted. I've cut their throats, poisoned them, broken their necks. I've even crushed and eaten a few. Killing is one of those things that gets easier the more you do it. But I assure you, the image of your kill will never leave your mind. Their begging and pleading will stay with you" Susan said softly. Fiona could see the sadness in her eyes. "Stand and give thinks to our guest speaker" she ordered. They stood and clapped. Susan politely nodded and left. She went out to a particular training ground meant to practice growing spells. She scratched one out in the dirt and grew. Once she was human sized, she sat down and brought her knees to her chest. She didn't wish to dwell on what the therapist saying that being human sized was her safe zone.
She sat there for the better part of an hour thinking about the lives she took. The ones that pleaded they had a family was the worst. She knew it was for the greater good but she couldn't shake that feeling. She couldn't see them as she was blind then but her advanced hearing caught every crack and croak of their voice as they begged. Lily had taught them to compartmentalize their emotions by using the same training Puck gave her years ago. That didn't mean they were scrubbed out of their minds though. "What they asked got to you didn't it?" Fiona asked tapping her shoe. "I guess so" Susan replied. Fiona climbed up her and perched herself on her shoulder. They could see the entire academy. "It was easier back then. Good guys and bad guys. Nowadays it's evil, good, and shades of grey. How did it get so muddled?" Susan asked. "It was never muddled. You saw the world one way and time showed you how it really looks" Fiona replied.
"There were times when I got this rush killing. That desire to see them squirm under my feet. To scramble for their lives on my tongue. And when I got home I'd cry myself to sleep thinking I was a psychopath. I once told Lily I was pissed she assigned me guard duty of Rose but seriously I was thankful. I feared the killing was turning me into what we trained to fight. A murderous magic user" Susan said. "You've saved the lives of countless thousands. There is a karmic price to pay when you deal in evil. If you fret and feel remorse for killing then good for you. Psychos don't give a fuck. Did you ever...of course you didn't. Lily used to have this sad and worried look on her face when we left on missions. She knew the dangers we faced but more so the mental trauma that came with it. We were like her kids to her. Well not you. I heard the stories" Fiona chuckled. Susan blushed bright red.
"It's natural to look back at things like that but I can tell you with certainty that the world as better off for doing it" Fiona added. Susan nodded. "Flower power?" Fiona asked holding out her fist. "Flower power" Sudan chuckled tapping it with her fingertip. Susan sniffed the air. "You're pregnant?" she asked. "You just noticed? Well, I am wearing baggy clothes today" Fiona replied. "That's your second?" Susan asked. "Third. Had one 5 months ago" Fiona replied. "What? Why didn't you tell me? We could've had a baby shower" Susan asked. "You weren't around" Fiona replied. Susan hung her head. "You were grieving and needed space. I understand" Fiona said. "Not an excuse to push people away like I did" Susan said. "Hey look. No stretch marks!" Fiona said lifting her shirt. Susan chuckled at her. She rubbed her finger up and down her medium sized baby bump. "I think I might want a baby" Susan said.
"Oh? Well you have some fans I assure you. But I thought you only like girls" Fiona said. "I've been going through changes lately. Made me rethink some things" Susan said. "I'm glad you came today Susan. I missed my classmate" Fiona said softly wiping her eyes. "Love ya too. You were always there for me in training. I couldn’t have asked for a more patient partner" Susan said. "Hey, you put up with my corny jokes" Fiona laughed. "And you were kind enough to wash your feet before sparring with me" Susan snickered. Suddenly, Susan felt very strange. She gripped her head. "What's wrong?" Fiona asked concerned. "I...I have to go to the mansion" she said with little emotion. Fiona tumbled off barely landing on her feet as Susan stood up. "Susan?" Fiona asked worried.
A minute before...
"Is your mirror in place?" Libra asked on a magical link. "Of course it is! We want to finish this as quickly as possible! It's insulting to have to shrink down and pass as borrowers!" the male twin said. "Excuse me Libra but isn't it easier to just order her to kill herself?" the female twin asked. "It is but we must take away THORN's ability to oppose us. I don't want to admit it, but this is the best I can do. Keep in mind our target is descended from fae and has magical resistance. If I was toe to toe with her, I might be able to command her to slit her throat. At this range this is the best I can do. Now let me concentrate" Libra said looking up the driveway to the mansion. "Adet. Susan Durmont felt the need to return to the mansion. Once inside, she made her way to the living room where a mirror sat on the table. She felt the irresistible urge to touch it" Libra said writing in her book.
Susan entered the mansion and made her way right to the living room. She felt dizzy as her legs and feet moved on their own. She wanted to cry out but couldn't. Then she entered the living room. The twins watched the giantess pass right before them heading to their mirror. "A mirror?" she asked seeing on the table. She was drawn to it. Made of gold and jade around the edges with the face of polished platinum. Susan bent down to touch it. She had too. And when she did, writing, ancient writing glowed red and there was a flash of light. Susan screamed as whatever force brought her there had done its work and let its hold on her go. She felt like she was falling and when she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the living room.
"About damn time" a woman hugged standing where Susan had been. The twins emerged from their hiding place. The woman bent down and kicked her lips at the shrunken twins. "Get whatever thought you have out your head or you'll go right back where you came from" the male twin said. "Just kidding. Everyone uptight in this world or just you two?" she asked. "You got what you wanted. A world where you can take control of THORN and use its power as you want" the female twin said. Both of them canceled their shrinking spells and grew back to normal. "Can you uphold your end of the bargain?" the male asked. "If they're as peace loving and trusting as you said...of course I can. I'm Susan Durmont. Viceroy and commander of THORN" the woman said chuckling.
Susan opened her eyes. "Fuck...me..." she said clearing the spots out of her eyes. She immediately looked around trying to make sense of what had happened. "The vault? How the fuck did I end up here?" she said recognizing the armored vault where THORN stored legitimate dangerous artifacts. However, she could tell something wasn't right. "The Ring of Shishak. The Tome of Nicodemus... where are they?" she asked herself not seeing them. She walked around for a moment looking at artifacts she'd never seen before. "I have clearance to know all of the artifacts seized. How come I don't...wait. That one I remember! I touched it and I woke up down here!" she said recognizing the mirror. Susan touched it nervously...and nothing happened. "That's fuckin' weird. I'll ask Keith if he knows about that thing" she thought as she went to leave. She stopped as the familiar keypad was replaced with a biometric sensor. "When did they install this?" she asked herself touching the pad. "Susan Durmont. Access granted" it said before unlocking the sealed door.
The door sealed behind her. "Jesus!" she yelled startled by borrower soldiers saluting her at her feet standing on each side of the door. "Uh...carry on I guess" she said saluting back. Susan shook her head wondering why the extra security. It was unnecessary in her mind. The vault in question was in reality a nuclear fallout shelter built back in the mid 60's. After the Cuban missile crisis, Lucius Durmont, Lily, father in law and grandfather to Rose, built the shelter in fear that the next crisis would lead to all-out war. It was a daunting and remarkable feat. Built under the foundation, it extended 65 ft long and 30 ft. wide. Lined with lead and made mostly of stainless steel, it was rated to ride out the blast wave of a 30-kiloton detonation. The main fear being such an attack would be used to wipe out the Royal National Guard base just 5 miles outside Yorkshire. Large enough to shelter the Durmonts, the servants and maids, and their families for three months.
Decades passed and everything went to Lily after her husband died including the shelter. When she procured her first artifact, she realized that the shelter was perfect to store objects just as dangerous if not more than a tactical nuclear weapon. A keypad was installed for added security and only a handful of people knew the code. With such defenses (as the walls themselves were over three feet thick) Susan thought it excessive to need biometrics and guards.
Susan emerged from the stairway to the main floor. She paused as the very air smelled different. The living room was off. Chairs moved or missing. Pictures she didn't recognize. "Viceroy. The chancellor requests your presence in the central square" a voice said at her feet. Another soldier. "Who in the what now?" Susan asked. "I said the chancellor requests your presence in the central square" he said on bended knee. "Okay. Wait...who..." she was saying before the small man ran off. "Who the fuck is the chancellor...and did he call me viceroy?" she asked. The center square was of course the center of the colony. Susan headed there and as soon as she opened the doors leading out, she froze. "It's official. I lost my fuckin' marbles" she muttered seeing a colony considerably different from the one she knew. There was far more barracks then before. The buildings were taller. Some as high as her shoulder. And at the top of each one was an unusual flag. A thorny rose wrapped around the world as if strangling it. And the most baffling of all was the fact the colony was three times as large as normal.
As Susan tip toed through the street, people bowed before her, ran into their homes, or saluted. In the distance she could see a familiar face. She got closer to him. "Keith oh thank God. I need help. I think I'm having...what's going on?" she asked as she got close. Keith held his hand out to silence her. In the center of the square was four small people. Brown skinned and black hair. "Yaksha?" she thought. "You have been convicted of crimes against the state. Under law, you are permitted one final plea of mercy" Keith said. "The Blue Heaven will one day..." *crunch*
The young man's words were abruptly silenced by Keith's foot. "He wasted his words. And what of you three?" he asked. They didn't say a word or even move. Keith raised his foot over the next one and crushed him so fast his blood splattered on the girl next to him. Susan was aghast in shock. He turned his attention to another girl and she bolted with her hands still tied behind her back. He yanked her up so fast her sandals fell off her feet. She screamed in Thai as Keith pushed her into his mouth. Slowly he sucked on her and lowered himself down onto the street. His face only a foot away from the last girl still standing still. He opened his mouth and she could hear her friend, possibly her sister, sobbing. She glanced up to look and Keith took that moment to spit his victim's salvia-soaked clothes at her. They hit her almost hard enough to knock her down and she watched as the giant swallowed his victim alive.
"And now it's just you. Still stoic? I could include you in my harem if you ask nicely. Decent bone structure. Wide hips. Nice feet. Good breeding stock" he muttered. The girl flinched for a moment and blood began to rapidly pool out her mouth. She spat her own tongue out. "Oh my god" Susan thought feeling sick. Keith nodded to carry her body out as she fell to the street. "I expected you here before me knowing you like a good execution. What kept you?" Keith asked. "I...I...was running late" Susan stammered trying to grasp the insanity of her surroundings. "Does it have to do with the negotiations scheduled with the French prime minister next week?" he asked. "Yeah! Yeah I was going over the schedule for it" she replied. "Well no need to work yourself to death for it. Either they agree to our terms or end up like the UK. That reminds me, has there been word from Fiona about committing some forces to the schools? I want this generation to grow up knowing that borrowers are to be respected" he asked. "None that I'm aware of" Susan replied. Keith shrugged and sighed.
Susan followed him out of a need to understand. He prattled on about forces, troops, allotments, provisions, and those he said were "losing their usefulness". "Youve barely said a word. Ill?" he asked. "Just tired is all. It's been a busy day" she said. "Tell me about it. It's barely past noon and I've had to contend with executions, an uprising in Dover, the US president whining on the phone, and...one second" he said. "What? Where? I see. I'll be there soon. Just hold the line" Keith said ending the message sent to his mind. "It never ends. You'd think conquering the British Isles would give a man a moment of fucking peace. I have...we have a situation in in Liverpool. It appears the US president was fucking with me this morning when he wanted "peaceful negotiations". If he thinks using antique tanks and planes to get around our dampening field is enough then he's a fool" Keith hissed. "US tanks and shit are in Liverpool?!" Susan asked. "Not for fucking long. I'll give the task to Hope and I'll just supervise. She's been bugging me about helping her dad more. Oh, before I go, I wanted to tell you to go over the proposal sent by Germany concerning rehabilitation for their gremlins. Need a second opinion" Keith said before walking to the mansion.
Keith called her name and Hope appeared out of thin air. "You want to help dad right? Take us to Liverpool honey" he said. She looked exactly the same except her clothes were jet black and was barefoot. She was human sized just as they were which was strange in of itself as Hope preferred being tiny. "Is something wrong?" Hope asked. "Some angry people with guns showed up and want to come hurt us" Keith replied. "I won't let them dad. Is mom coming?" she asked looking at Susan. "No, she's staying here to watch the house" he replied. Susan's heart skipped a beat. "She called ME mom?!" Susan thought. "But she'll miss the fun. I wanted to show her how big I can get" she whined. "There'll be time for that another day. Let's get going sweetheart" he said. "Okay. Bye mom. I'll be sure to take pictures for you!" she said happily before teleporting herself and Keith away. Susan fell to her knees in shock. She gripped her head. "Nothing...makes...sense!" she yelled. Any maids nearby quickly scampered out of the living room as the outbursts of their mistress usually led to deaths.
"His office. There must be answers there. Yeah, answers. I'm...I'm not crazy" she muttered shaking as she got up and made her way to his office.
Back in the normal world...
Mirror Susan looked upon the colony with disdain. "This is all they did? They never expanded beyond this? I bet borrowers are still shit on in this world. They didn't do a damn thing to secure our right to a nation of our own" she muttered. Where she thought to be barracks, there were flower and bread shops. Training facilities were coffee shops and books stores. Even the main training facility was nothing but a collection of tennis, track, and pools. She took little care walking through the colony. People dove out the way to avoid her feet with a few yelling at her. "This is it? This is THORN? They couldn't conquer Yorkshire let alone the island. If this is all they have then conquering them would be like twisting a baby's arm" she chuckled. Her foot moved aside smashing an apple cart. "Jesus Christ Susan! You forgot to watch where you plant your fucking feet?!" a young man yelled at her. Susan bent down on her knees. "Care to repeat that?" she asked.
"I said you smashed my damn cart with your damn foot!" he yelled. Susan slipped her sneaker off. "Sorry. I sometimes have trouble walking when my feet are sore. Maybe I need a better insole" she said plucking the man up from the street. She dropped him into her shoe and shook it. Susan chuckled as she could hear him rattle around coughing and gagging at the smell of soaked in foot sweat. She slipped her foot back in pushing the man right to the front. His screaming and squirming tickled her toes as she placed them over his body securing him underneath for safe keeping. Of course this didn’t go without notice. People started in astonishment. "Fuck y'all lookin' at? Get back to whatever the fuck y'all do here" she growled. People hurried along fearing whatever came over the well-known giantess before them.
She felt hungry. She kept looking around. "Not even a fucking prison camp to tide me over" she sighed before walking. Every step she took tickled her right foot. She could feel his head jammed into her sweaty sock. Begging for forgiveness. Crying for help. All he got in return was a mouthful of putrid air. God she was hungry. She walked to the Western edge of the colony. It had been mostly rebuilt from the time Claire had crashed right through it that fateful day. At this time of day, older teens had just returned from technical school. One if the systems Keith created for borrowers to continue education past high school (or the borrower equivalent thereof). In her world, such a thing didn't exist. Curious, she got on her knees and looked through each window. The campus dorms (available for borrowers wanting to live on their own away from parents) had refilled from the day. Susan found it an abhorrent waste. "They should be training to protect themselves and the homeland. They're useless" she muttered seeing cute rooms adorned very similar to human college students.
Her gaze caught someone's attention. A young man of 18 was drying himself off with a towel after a long day of classes when he noticed a large eye in his bathroom window. He opened it wondering who it could be. He gasped as he recognized who it was. "H..hi" he stammered as he had a crush on the woman like many others. "Hi yourself. You're cute. Can you come closer?" she asked. The young man stepped onto his veranda. Susan smiled at him. "I like a borrower that keeps fit" she said using her finger to slip off his towel. He was mesmerized at her winking gaze. Susan puckered her lips and the young man leaned forward. To him this was a dream come true.
When he got close enough, her lips parted and enclosed around his head. With a quick slurp, he was in her mouth. Susan waited no time swallowing him alive. Unsatisfied, she went to another window. A girl of similar age had her back turned to her window no seeing the giant fingers coming for her. She heard a sound as the window was slid open. Susan yanked her out and devoured her. She felt no guilt at the teens in her tummy dying slowly. Where she came from even the simplest arcane spell was known to stop an attacker. If they were weak, it was on them. Tied over, she went back to the mansion.
Making her way past the kitchen, she froze as Keith came around the corner. "How did it go at the academy?" he asked. "...fine. Just fine" she said. "I see you suited up for it. I don't recognize the emblem though" he said glancing at it. She turned her body. "Just something I'm toying with" she muttered. "You're not still upset about the other night, are you?" he asked. "No. I'm over it. Wasn't that big of a deal" she said no knowing what he was referring to. "Wasn't that...Susan you were begging me to have sex with you. Maybe I'm giving off mixed signals but..."
"You said what you had to say" she said coldly. "Susan. Please don't be angry with me. It wouldn't be fair to either of us" he said placing his hand on her shoulder. She spun around and gripped it tightly. "Ow! Susan that hurts!" he yelled. She let go. "Okay. I'll...I'll just give you some space" he said walking away. Keith felt two of his fingers broken. "Did he do something to piss you off?" a voice said at her feet. "Rose?" Susan asked astonished. "Who else would it be?" she asked. Susan bent down and snatched her up.
Susan cuddled her pushing the girl on her cheek. "Easy Suzie! You're squeezing me!" Rose yelled. Susan eased up and held her in her palm. "It's just...been awhile since I've seen you" Susan said. "You saw me this morning! You been drinking?" Rose asked. Susan rubbed her finger along her face. "Suzie...what's the matter?" Rose asked worried. "I just love you is all. We take for granted those in our lives and when they leave us..." Susan said choking back tears. Rose fingered she was relapsing on her mother's death. "I'm not going anywhere. Come up to my room. You can dote on me if you want" Rose said. Susan smiled at carried her to her room. Rose did her homework worried. As Susan laid next to her, she could see her eyes never leaving her. Her giant fingers rubbing her tiny feet. Her thumb rubbing her back. Her eyes looked as if pleading that she loved her. She had never seen Susan this upset before.
"You smell nice" Susan said. "Well I took a shower" Rose said. "No I mean YOU smell nice" Susan said. "Really? Thought you said my scent reminded you of mom" Rose asked. Susan didn't say anything but kept petting her little body. As time passed, Rose fell asleep from the message. Susan kissed her tiny soles and bare tummy before tucking her into bed. The time was 8:14 in the evening and still slightly early. She hurried out of the room to hers as she had to make preparations. She thought she was prepared for anything coming to this world. The Gemini twins said there would be differences, but she never expected to see Rose. For in her world...Rose was dead.
Back in the Mirror World...
Susan's hand trembled as she moved the mouse. She had access to his personal computer which kept detailed files on his operations. One file was a continuous journal of sorts detailing hat Keith had done in the last two years. It was very well hidden in the directory and Susan opted to open it hoping it would shed light on the insane world she found herself in. In the beginning, it looked normal. His entries spoke of his life with Claire and Aspen back in the states. Most of that was the same as what Keith told her some time ago. And then there was a difference that seemingly set everything in motion down a very dark and different path.
"After weeks of work, the vote on borrower rights has come. Claire and Aspen are very hopeful about it going through. I have my doubts. I've seen the darkness of the human heart. I don't tell them about it as Claire is due to give birth any day now and Aspen has her hands full. Supplementary entry. The vote failed by a small margin. I knew this wouldn't work. Humans will never give us rights. Not when it's so easy to enslave us. History has shown that the end of slavery and oppression comes not by shaking hands but by force. Shortly after we left the building, we were attacked by Ebonheart. The same Ebonheart that Oberon warned us about. Claire was eaten by her right before our eyes. Her love gone. My child gone. I made a deal to save Aspen as it was clear that Ebonheart had no problems taking Aspen by force"
"Facing a magical foe, me and Aspen decided to use her grandmother's books to find magical races of tiny people. If fae and koonago existed why not others?"
"We discovered the Yaksha. A peace-loving people but strong in magic. Apparently, they're the mortal enemies of the Mogwai. When we explained the threat of Ebonheart, their council decided not to help us. However, one of their kind did agree to help when the time came. A girl named Lawan. I feel drawn to her but Aspen needs me more than ever. Now I have to master this sword given to me by Oberon"
"Our encounter with the Alux didn't go well at all to say the least. I tried to help the one called Elena and we got kidnapped. They wanted to turn us into breeding stock for some reason. When they grabbed Aspen, I snapped. I saw red. By the time I came to, I was human sized and my hands, feet, and mouth was covered in blood. I had a full stomach. It was clear why. Aspen looked at me like I was some kind of monster. Doesn't she know I'm doing all this for her?! For our baby?!"
"I met Lily. A fae with very strong powers. She told us who she was and what she really did. We couldn't believe it. Claire’s grandmother and a spymaster at that. She asked me to do a mission and I agreed. It would work in our favor to have a powerful ally like her"
"I burned the entire facility to the ground. Oberon won't speak to me. He said it was a mistake to have awakened in me early and this was a coincidence. Ever since the day Ebonheart appeared to us, Oberon has been my guide into magics. I think I really disappointed my teacher. Too bad. He kept things from us. Claire would be alive today if he spoke up sooner"
"Lawan sent me a message. The Mogwai have made an alliance with Ebonheart. Her council finally agreed to an alliance. With that we're moving to Lily' estate in Yorkshire"
"We know the day of the attack thanks to Lawan. We have a plan and our forces are ready. No surrender. No retreat. It's them or us"
"Pelé made contact with us. I had written off the Menehune as being useless to our cause like some others but a goddess lending her power can't be dismissed. Rose agreed to be the vessel of her Etherion seed. Lily immediately rejected the idea saying it should be her. Rose was the better choice as being in better shape to handle such power"
"It's awesome to see such power in Rose. I wonder if it's enough. I got a report from Japan about Ebonheart stealing an artifact. Don't know why"
"I write this just a hour before the battle. Aspen can barely move so I've been carrying her in my hand the whole time. If we survive this, I'm going to marry her. She...she still looks at me funny. I hope she says yes."
"...it's over. Oh god. We won but at what cost? The city is burning still. We're counting the dead even hours after. Rose was magnificent. Like a burning angel in the sky. She saved my daughter and pushed back Ebonheart. And when this freak Ikaros appeared, she gave it her all. There was this flash of light. Light so bright you could see it with your eyes closed. Ikaros was a scorched mess and Rose...Rose held on long enough to die in her mother's hands. Releasing so much power so suddenly was like exploding a magic time bomb. Her mortal body couldn't handle the stress. That wasn't the only heartfelt loss for us. Aspen died in the opening moments. Ebonheart just crushed her flat where she laid. I lost myself again right then and only awoke just as Rose fried Ikaros. The Mogwai tried to retreat but I ordered my newborn daughter to destroy them. Each one just fell to ashes where they stood. Ebonheart pleaded for mercy. I told Hope to bind her soul permanently to her host. Once that was done, I took Rune Breaker and ran her through. Fuck mercy"
"The Yaksha turned on us. They declared Hope to dangerous to roam free and said to turn her over to be bound until further notice. When I drew my sword, it shrank. It rejected me. No matter. Hope is more than enough to deal with them. I gave their forces a choice. Either surrender or have them homeland exposed. They surrendered"
"Reconstruction has begun. With our Yaksha "guests", it's coming along quickly. Very soon I'll begin the plan to create a safe homeland of our own"
"July 7, 2018 is a day we'll all remember. After submitting a request for borrower rights to Parliament, we waited hoping they would see reason. A protected land and recognized rights for our kind. Took them all of 6 hours to refuse. Fine. I gave them a chance. I had Hope cast a spell killing all electronic equipment in the UK. Like a magical EMP. Thousands died in the first hour. We watched as planes dropped out of the sky. London burned that night from looting. We returned to Parliament the next day and told them what had occurred, how, and if they didn't surrender to our demands...we'd do far worse."
"It was like they armed a junkyard. Machines not in service since the 50's tried to wipe us out. Technically, they're still out there. They got within a mile before being shrunk to the size of ants. Wonder how many are still alive. Lots of carnivorous bugs this time of year."
"I forged my own sword. I needed a symbol for myself. I called it Spell Edge. It relies on different forms for techniques and better yet it evolves. I made Oberon tell me how to create it. Didn't know a soul could feel pain without a body. Luckily it can. Just in time too as the entire British army is converging on me"
"I sent an envoy with a very special message to one of their generals. She arrived carrying a box. A box containing the city of Coventry. If they didn't surrender, more cities would be shrunk. 360,000 humans no bigger than dust mites as hostages. They surrendered by sundown"
"Well it was only natural. NATO tried to nuke me. Too bad that their electronic fuses didn't arm when it passed the dampening field. I sent them to Parliament saying "no thanks. They clash with the lawn furniture" I think they understand their place now. I opened talks about restoring power to basic infrastructure if they behave from now on"
"After weeks of working on it, I perfected Spell Edge. What was missing was a soul for it to anchor the enchantments. Of all people, Rebecca volunteered. I explained the consequences of her body not having a soul. "As long as it will keep our people safe" she said. It's clear she's still grieving over Claire and probably Aspen too. Not wanting Ritchie and Thomas to end up dead must be her worst fear now. Her body is like a robot now. Honestly, I don't know what her family is going to do about that"
"With their attack failed, Theresa May herself opened talks with me. She said I was like Hitler. No. I'm more like Moses leading my people to the promised land. She said I was mad. That was trying to conquer the world. No, I would be better than the humans. The world tried to conquer us and they failed. All they had to do was recognize our right to exist. I'll shove it down their damn throats if I have to"
"I didn't mean for it to happen. I swear I didn't. Lily and I got into an argument about the future of our people. How could I preach about freedom when I keep Yaksha in bondage? She actually asked me that. When I told her I would let them go when they decided not to attack my child she attacked me with magic. Said I went off the deep end and that she would fix what I did. I used the spell error technique as she used wind magic. The gust blew her right through the balcony window and she fell. She died instantly. If they knew the truth it would divide our people. I told them she committed suicide over Rose"
"Continued rebellions this week after I dissolved the Parliament. Naming myself chancellor certainly didn't help. I'm sending Briar Patch to deal with it. It might be heavy handed but I won't tolerate anything that may endanger our order"
"The rebellions have mostly ended. Guess seeing your friends shrunk and left to die takes away your urge to spray paint and break windows. I decided to ask Susan to marry me. With the loss of Lily and Rose, she's grown despondent. Sad that she can't have children because of what the humans did to her when she was a kid"
"It was a nice ceremony. Susan looked so pretty in her gown. Hope is very happy to have a new mom. I hope Susan likes having a stepdaughter too. With personal business dealt with, now the task at hand is Europe itself. France is open to negotiations. Good. They will make a nice ally when the time for Germany comes around. Susan proposed an interesting project. Mating borrowers with Yaksha. In theory the offspring would have our talents and theirs. I'm not too keen on mixing our species but a stagnant species is doomed to extinction. I probably will give her my blessing"
Susan sat there motionless. She regretted ever opening his journal. Lily and Rose was dead because of him. Thousands of humans dead because of him. He turned her organization into some kind of perverted nationalistic army. He conquered the British Isles and was set to move into Europe itself. He had set up rape camps and worse of all...she was married to him. She felt sick. "If I hadn't touched that mirror" she muttered. She shot up and began looking through the files on artifacts. "There it is. Yata no Kagami. Says here it was taken from Japan four months ago. Hmm....damn. Nothing on what it does. There has to be something" she said. "We're back mom!" Hope yelled rushing to hug her. Susan went rigid as the girl embraced her stepmother. Susan awkwardly patted her head. "I helped dad defeat the Americans!" she said grinning. Susan cringed as she could see bloodstains on her teeth. "That's right. You'd be proud" Keith said entering the room. Susan closed the files.
"Wish could've been there" Susan chuckled. Susan decided to play it cool. If Keith was capable of killing Lily with barely any remorse, no telling what he might do to her to protect his homeland. "I can show you mom!" Hope said as her eyes flared up. Instantly, Susan felt strange. There was a softness under her feet. She found herself looking down at them seeing her toes painted black. Around her was small buildings. Then she heard a girlish giggle. "You feel okay honey?" Keith asked. "The grass tickles my feet" Hope replied. Susan gasped as she realized she was experiencing everything Hope had just hours before. She was in control of nothing. All she could do was watch...and feel.
"Don't worry about crushing the buildings. It's clear the people are in league with these bad humans that came here" Keith said. Hope looked down seeing a small group of humans fleeing. With childish glee, she raised her foot over them and slammed it down. Slammed it down with enough force to buckle the old street and shake old buildings off the foundations. Susan felt the wetness under her sole. How small they were meant Hope and Keith were easily over 500 ft. tall. Susan knew the humans didn't stand a chance against such power. Hope smashed her way through the city right to the docks where the Americans had landed their forces. "Wow. Haven't seen that shit outside of museums. Are those Sherman?" he asked loudly. The civilians retreated immediately leaving the soldiers with their tanks and artillery alone.